Electronic recycling change highlights local options

Some York County businesses will take unwanted devices.

Tossing away old electronics at the local recycling yard, well, it just doesn't compute.

There's too much of value in those televisions and computer towers, said Windsor Township resident Tony Bortner. Household electronics contain circuitry, wiring and plastic that people will pay for.

And think about that yellow metal on a computer's circuit board.

"This is already like the new gold rush," Bortner said.

Pennsylvania's new Covered Device Recycling Act - prohibiting curbside collection of electronic devices such as televisions and computers - took effect on Jan. 24. Such devices must now be taken to municipal recycling yards across the county, at designated times, officials have said.

But there are other options.

Jim Stuart, a broker with Paz Metals in Hellam Township, said the company has seen a recent spike in electronics recycling. Paz used to fill a bin a week, he said, but now several bins might get filled in a day.

And Paz will pay you for your trouble.

Items are then taken apart, and the materials sold to make a profit, Stuart explained.

"If we sell something to a company, and they turn around and dump it in the Atlantic Ocean, we can lose our license too," he said, adding, "there are options out there."

Like many electronics stores, Spartan Computers on Memory Lane in Springettsbury Township has been accepting old electronics for years, owner Matt Bair said.

Bair doesn't pay for items, but he will sometimes pick up large loads. Spartan also offers better hours than some municipal yards, he said, and something else: the prospect of helping others.

Spartan works with Penn-Mar Human Services, putting people to work filling old printer ink cartridges for resale, Bair said. In addition, store employees can often reuse old parts, allowing lower consumer prices for used computers.

"It all makes a difference." he said.

Bortner, 39, started Axlrod Recycling about four years ago. Today he travels two counties, stopping at stores for pick-ups. Anything recyclable, he separates and sells for scrap.

Business is booming, Bortner said during a recent stop at Spartan.

So think about what you have, Bair said. An out-of-date device for one person might be just what another needs. Sometimes, he said, you just need to open up the cover and blow off the dust.

Before rushing out to the recycling yard, he said, at least stop and take a deep breath.